The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-07-18
Ghe Gntelliqei1t,:,fI:leI:r:|:,..
WHEELING. VIVA, JULY Is. 1887.
Tho Governor and the state board of Ilsal.l,


The Act OF March 8, 1881, creating the
State Board.oi Health, was progressive
step on the part Of the Legislature and Of
the medical profession, which had urged
1t. The act was 80 we'll drawn to meet its
object aud go well served its purpose un'-;
der competent administration, that 1t be.
came a model for othef States. Nothing
that has over been done has given the
medical profession Of West Virginia so
high standing. throughout the country.
Governor jackson was in sympathy
with the act and It's aima, and he did all
that tho Executive could do to start the
Board under favorable auspices. These
we're his appointees, tho State having then
but three Congressional Districts: Eirst
Diatrict, DR.. Reeves, Wheeling, ak years,
and DR.. MoiIe.t, Pa,kersbur9, two years;
Second District, Dr.. Richardson, Charles.
town, Je1Otnon county, four yeara, and Dr..
Carpenter, Moorefeld, two years; Third
District, Dr.. Barbee, Point Pleasant, ak
! years, and DR.. Bee, two years. NJ
In 1882, in consequence OF the forma.
ton Of the Fourth Congressional District,
it was necessary to rearrange the Board
4. with an jncresss-oi two members. DR..
Lawrence Carr, Of Charleston, Kanawha
county, was appointed for four years, and
DR.. WIN. NJ. Late, Of Bridgeport, Harriaon
county, for four years. There we're other
changes by reason Of resignation, and
alter January !, 1852, the Board was COM
posed ss tollowa: First Congressional Dis.
trlcs, Drs. Reeves and Late; Second Dis.
trict, Dra. Richardson and Baker, Of Mar.
tinaburg; Third District, Drs. Carr and
Mcdonald; Fourth District, Drs. Harris
and Barhee.
This Board, with It's record OF excep.
tlonally good work, Governor Wilson
found in office. From the first his intiu'
ence was felt to be against the Board. Fol
more than year after his inauguration
he refused to approve the bills OF the Sec
rotary and other members, until, heavy
pressure being put upon him, be yielded
and the bills were approved. cas- showing
how the Governors attitude was regarded
by the Board, Ii not BY the whole medica
profession Of the State, We quote from {
statement made by DR.. Reeves
then President Of the American Public
Health Association, to the Council o
State Boards OF Health, in session at Wash
iugson, D. O., August, 1885. ''Unfor
tunatoly for sus in West Virginia, in al
probability for the next three years VI
cannot look to the Executive (Wil
SOM as friend Of tho Board. There is
not that zeal in his compliance with tht
Law supporting the Board which charac
terizsd tho acts Of his predecessor Jack
eon} whom this association made mem
ber." Fortunately for the weight Of THU
prophetic indictment, DR.. Reeves is Q
the Governors own party. g$
Governor Wilson, in what he has don,
and what no has not done with regard K
the State Board OF Health, hiss not obeyse
the law. Ths act uaya: "On the first day
Of June, 1882, and every second yea
thereafter, or ~ Goon after said day al
= practicable, the Governor shall appoin
two members OF said Bosld for the term o
four years" Governor Jackaon appointsc
members in 1882 and 1881 rs tho Law di
5, re6ted; but Governor Wilson refused t.
obey the law, and let June, 1885, pasl
without making any appointments for Tie
six places made vacant by The expiration
Of the terms OF six members.
Now tho Governor wakes up enough tc
make an appointment which is in open
violation OF q clearly worded provision Of
the Law. The act says that member o.
the ststs Board of Health "shall have
practiced medicine for not LEGS thar
twelve years continuously" Under this
proyision Dr.. Garrison, OF thia city, re.
Gently appointed, is clearly ineligible, nc
matter Whist his professional qualifications
may be. Tho Governor is a lawyer, and
go iB the Attorney General, at whose in.
stance this appointment ives made. They
both knew better, and the wonder is that
with the law staring them in the face
they did not DO better. :,s59 >
Twenty.nine physicians Of Wheeling
almost the entire medical profession o.
this city-protested againas this appoint
ment Of one OF their own number. Tn.
State Medical Association, in session
White Sulphur Springs, denounced it
The appointment. Of q physician who i
not eligible, Is IN insult to tho profession
Tor it 10 aa much aa to say that Of all VIII,
4 were eligible under the law not one coul,
BIO found in the district OF sufficient pro
iepslonal standing to justify his appoint
ment. !, i. z Y X III &. ~
In this view tho appointment Is ptterl,
indetensible, and tho physicians VIII,
have, with remarkable unanimity, ex
a pressed their indignation, have shown
regard Tor the Board which tho Goyerno
seems incapable oil approaching. Their
are 1850 registered physicians in Yves
Virginia, and the Governor and the at
torney General will DO likely to. hea
later from them. q Z ~ III .ss, i:-S
~ ystSE5'ra .--------- ~ M.
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